subject: History of Knitting [print this page] Knitting technique has been recorded since the prehistoric times with using one needle and short pieces of fiber. The next documentation was found at the site of the old Syrian City of Dura Europos, which was sacked by the Persians in 256 AD which shows a hand knitted clothing done by two knitting needles.
But the popular belief has it that William Lee, a clergyman in 16th-century Britain, was enamored of a young lady who was always knitting. In his view, she was so busy knitting that she had no time for him, so in 1589 he invented a knitting machine.
His machine could make wool garments, including stockings, which were a clothing staple worn by both men and women. He applied for a patent from Queen Elizabeth, but she thought his machine-made garments were unattractive and denied his request.
Knitted stockings became high fashion in the 16th century. Wishing to please Elizabeth I, he designed his stocking frame to produce fine silk stockings. This Stocking Frame did not impress the Queen. It is said that she was much to distracted with their Armada victory to take notice of Rev Lee's invention. He went back to work, refining his design for years until his machines could make fine silk stockings. He re-applied, but again the Queen denied his patent, this time concerned about putting hand-knitters out of work. Lee then traveled to France to seek support from King Henry IV.
The accounts of his denied patent applications can't be confirmed, but there are records in 1605 and 1609 of Lee trying to establish his invention in London. He was never successful, and in 1612 there is a record of him in Rouen, France. The last mention of Lee in France was in 1615, and it's believed he died there soon after.
In 1759, Jedediah Strutt of Derby and Belper patented the "Derby rib frame." This would have been the first conversion from a single bed to a double bed frame that William Lee invented and started a great period of inspiration for development for the knitting frames. Samuel Betts combined the tuck pressor with this rib frame to develop his tickler bar. The tickler bar actually removed and transferred stitches to make "holes." Sounds like our "lace carriages" of today.
Meanwhile, far across the Atlantic The Reference in Cassell's Household Guide of 1870 advertised the Crane Knitter as a striking new American invention: "It had a massive metal plate keyboard in which deep, square grooves for the reception of 106 needles are cut, and "asort" of metal carriage or traveler, which can be moved forward or back on the keyboard with the greatest facility by the aid of a short ball-crowned handle." This was one of several sock knitting machines of that era, which included both flat and circular sock machines.
The Industrial Revolution was the catalyst for getting cloth-making machines into factories. In 1864, William Cotton of Leicestershire, England, improved on Lee's original design and introduced the new engine to manufacturers. Later in the 19th century, people began to use power with the machines. Soon circular knitting machines appeared, able to knit in a tube shape.
Advancements in the 20th century allowed for new and different types of knitting machines, and speedier ones as well. Present-day machines have programmable computers and can produce almost any pattern from any type of fiber.
